Ciel Phantomhive
E''arl'' Ciel Phantomhive (シエル・ファントムハイヴ, Shieru Fantomuhaivu) is the main character of the Kuroshitsuji series. He is the current head of the Phantomhive family,5 the notorious Queen's Watchdog,6 and the owner of the Funtom Company.78 Appearance Ciel is a rather short teenage boy with navy blue hair and eyes and body dimensions that are described by Nina Hopkins as "slim" and "delicate."9 Ciel typically dresses in a way that suits his noble standing, and has a very extensive wardrobe. Ciel nearly always wears a black eyepatch with a single cord over his right eye to hide the location of his Faustian Contractwith Sebastian Michaelis. However, while in disguise, he wears a medical-looking white patch that fastens over his ear with two cords.1011 Ciel also has a brand on the left side of his body from his time as a slave in a cult.12 In the manga, the mark is on his back; in the anime, it is on his chest. Ciel sports two rings: one, which he wears on his left thumb, is an ornate silver piece that holds an emerald-cut deep blue stone. It is a one-of-a-kind family heirloom that had been passed down for generations.13 The other is a gold signet ring in the form of thePhantomhive crest. Ciel wears this on his right hand, and uses it to stamp the wax seal on documents. The seal was given to him byAngelina Dalles upon his return, who told him that it was the only ring that had not been destroyed in the fire that killed hisparents.14 Personality Ciel is an arrogant and shrewd thirteen-year-old boy who holds numerous exalted positions. As the Earl of the Phantomhive family and a distinguished nobleman, Ciel is very strict, proud, and accustomed to a luxurious lifestyle. He refuses to stay in a meager environment for long.15 As a result, he has considerable difficulty dressing himself and doing household chores if left on his own.16He is stern on his orders, especially in the assertion of his authority, and he expects his butler, Sebastian Michaelis, to complete them without any shortcomings. Ciel often finds it entertaining to challenge Sebastian in areas of both strength and skill.17 He and Sebastian frequently work together, and only the latter seems to be fully aware of Ciel's schemes. Furthermore, Ciel has a relatively cold outlook on life; his main goal is for those who have betrayed the Phantomhive family to experience the same level of humiliation and suffering he did.18 During his time as a slave to cultists who subjected him to atrocious cruelties, he was branded with a mark he absolutely does not want other people to see.19 Ciel possesses unwavering determination; instead of moping around hopelessly, Ciel chooses to die without regrets by working hard to fulfill his revenge, despite his aunt's insistence that he should lead a happier life. He often compares predicaments to games such as chess, and is willing to gamble with his life on the line to win them.20 As the executive chairman of the Funtom Company, Ciel exhibits business acumen and impressive keenness in management affairs. Cunning and artful, he successfully administers sister Funtom Companies simultaneously.21 His greed is described as "knowing no boundaries" for when he learns that a performer could double the sales of his new product, he immediately puts up advertisements of her for promotion.22 As the Queen's Watchdog, Ciel demonstrates great loyalty to Queen Victoria and aims to accomplish all tasks she assigns to him. He is undaunted by dense mysteries and macabre cases, and is confident that he will be able to solve them all.23 He is readily prepared to resort to dishonest measures such as bribery, provided that he can gather more information and finish his job swiftly and efficiently—though, he claims it is simply flexibility on his part.24 As his duty sometimes obligates him to disguise himself, he is quite a versed actor; unscrupulous, he has no qualms about lying and believes that humans do not as a whole.25 He is merciless with his enemies, and does not hesitate to command for the utter eradication of them.26 Ciel displays signs of posttraumatic stress disorder due to his savage mistreatment as a slave to a perverse cult. He occasionally has flashbacks of the traumatic event and becomes completely unaware of his surroundings while suspended in the disturbing, vivid memory.2728 Due to this horrific past, Ciel seldom smiles; he had once admitted that he has forgotten how to smile happily.29 Ciel does show genuine concern for the well-being of those close to him; for instance, he jumped in front of a bear to guard Elizabeth Midford,30 and had sworn to protect her from a horde of violent Bizarre Dolls.31 He also pays ample attention to the needs of his servants, for when he had heard that they desired new items, he went shopping with them and provided them with necessities.32 Although he usually presents a solemn and mature demeanor, Ciel can be rather childish at times. He is exceedingly competitive, which he acknowledges himself. He is unsatisfied with draws, and will refuse to quit until a victor is declared.33 Sebastian has noted that because of Ciel's talent in competition, he overestimates his skills to the point of thinking he can never lose. This is why Sebastian is careful to make sure that Ciel will be gradually humbled by a decisive defeat and the guidance of an adult he respects.34 Despite his weak physical condition, Ciel is competent with shooting; he always carries a gun in order to defend himself and has one under his pillow when sleeping.3536 Ciel is very fond of sweets,37 and is allergic to cats.38 He inherited asthma from his mother.39 History Ciel was a regular child in the past who maintained a cheerful disposition. As a child, he suffered from poor health, being afflicted with asthma and allergies to cats.needed He would often smile and play with his family and Elizabeth, his fiancee and cousin. Elizabeth said that when his parents were alive, the Phantomhive manor was full of smiles.40 On his tenth birthday, he was running through the manor until he came across his dead mother, father, and dog. He called for help and ran into Tanaka, who urged the young boy to flee. Before he could say more, however, Tanaka was attacked from behind by an unseen assailant who then grabbed Ciel.41 Ciel was then sold, and his kidnappers commented that he is "rare" and worth more than two people. He is bought and branded by his new owners, giving him the mark of a "noble beast." He cried that he was hurt, dirty, and homesick. He is next seen chained in a cage while masked adults look on, remarking about what a splendid evening they will have. Ciel sadly wondered why no one is there to help him. One of the masked adults then placed him on a table for his sacrifice, and he was stabbed while the rest looked on gleefully42 Sebastian was summoned to him, although how is not shown. He appeared in his true demon form and told Ciel that what had been sacrificed will never return. Sebastian asked Ciel if he wanted to make a contract and have his wishes granted or not, to which Ciel says that he wants the power to take revenge on those who mistreated him. The ones who tried to sacrifice him tried to stop him from talking, but Ciel agreed to the contract. Sebastian asked him where he wanted his seal, saying that the more visible it is, the stronger the contract is. Ciel told him that anywhere was fine and that he wants a power stronger that anyone else's; Sebastian called him greedy and decided to put it on his right eye. Ciel screamed, then commanded him to kill his attackers. Sebastian then burnt down the building, and Ciel ordered Sebastian to protect and never betray him, to obey his orders no matter what, and to never lie.4344 The first place they went after these events was to the Royal Hospital where his aunt worked; he was reunited with Tanaka, and a carriage was arranged to bring him back to his manor. He and Sebastian viewed the ruined manor, then visited the graves of him and his parents. Sebastian left briefly, and when Ciel returned, he found the manor had been rebuilt by the demon. Ciel later took his place as the Earl of Phantomhive and the Watchdog of the Queen.45 Sometime during the same year, Ciel summons Sebastian to his room, complaining of a wobbly tooth that is preventing him from eating his food properly. After examining it, Sebastian decides to forcibly take it out, much to Ciel's chagrin. Ciel attempts to protest against the idea but Sebastian proceeds regardless, under the impression that he was doing his young master a favor. After the tooth removal, Ciel throws an angry fit at Sebastian. Ever since, he is unwilling to allow Sebastian to check for cavities in his teeth when they start to wobble.46 Plot Kidnapping Arc Jack the Ripper Arc Curry Contest Arc Noah's Ark Circus Arc Phantomhive Manor Murders Arc